Bittersweet Reality
by flyingheartsandmelodies
Summary: Sometimes, the ones that you push away are the ones you truly need. And Rika Nonaka learned it the hard way. Oneshot.


**BITTERSWEET REALITY**

Rika Nonaka, known as the Digimon Queen, was never seen showing her emotions. Today is just an ordinary day but a weird one for her. For she is crying in her couch and completely drowned by the loneliness she had been experiencing because of her disappointments in life.

She has been hurt so many times because her mother never cares for her, always goes out for photo-shoots that were needed for the job. Also, with full knowledge that she has been born by accident, she wished that she never existed or even lived. Only her grandmother understood her, but little, because probably she has reached another generation already.

Now, as she reaches the age of sixteen, the topic about love was usually brought in front of her. She never wants to end up being mushy, sappy or even lovestruck. That is why she had been called the Ice Queen, and she did not mind if that is what they call her, for she never cares about anyone except her Tamer friends and one boy in particular. But she cannot even bring herself to say it since who would believe that she had a heart?

"Stupid me! Why did I even exist if I am not meant to be here? No one cares for me and I am not caring for anyone!" Rika said as she pulled her legs together and buried herself in them. She had been crying for almost a day and it seemed that her tears were endless.

An idea flashed into her mind and that meant going out of her house.

"Maybe… I could have my thoughts straightened up… That's good." Rika said, dully and sadly.

She wiped her tears away in order to avoid questionings from different people. As she was walking in the path, she decided to go to a place where she could relax: the park.

"Maybe I could get crazy if someone catches my mouth open… I'd better shut up!" said Rika to herself.

As she was on the way to the center of the park, just a few walks from her, she saw a boy with midnight-blue hair.

_'Henry!'_ she thought as he saw him. _'But wait? Why the hell is he here anyway?'_

She saw that he was also alone, sitting in the bench, not too far away. Instinct told her to greet him but she never had the nerve to do so and she decided to walk away instead since she did not want to bother anyone or him as well. But fate was just playing with Rika because Henry saw her.

"Rika!" Rika heard Henry call her.

She was too busy being ignorant. Too busy minding her own life that she forgot that someone else called her name.

"Rika wait!" she heard Henry say.

But as she slowed her pace, she was afraid that Henry would catch up with her. And he did.

"Rika!" Henry asked her.

"It's you…" Rika said dully.

"Yeah. It's me. So, what brings you out here in the park?" Henry said good-naturedly. "Trying to straighten things out?"

Rika was shocked that Henry knew what she was supposed to do in the park and she became silent.

"So, what's it to you?" Rika snapped back at Henry. She hated him for seeing through her shell but she was happy he could do so. But she does not know if he understands her either.

Henry was about to answer when he saw Rika's tear stained face. "Were you crying, weren't you?" he asked.

Rika was still. "Why do you keep on answering questions if you can see them by yourself?!" she snapped again.

Henry's mind fidgeted nervously. He did not want to anger Rika any longer so he was trying to use the right words to say. "I just wanted to make sure if you're okay, Rika…" he said.

"Okay?! Who the hell is okay if she is stuck with her loneliness and pain?!" Rika exclaimed with conviction in her voice. "But anyway, you would never understand… You have a perfect life and mine's shattered… So there's no chance you understand…"

Henry was worried over Rika's facial expression but he really does understand her.

"Rika, I… I…" Henry trailed off because he did not want to hurt her.

"I knew it! I knew that you never understand! And probably will!" Rika said finally.

"Rika, I understand what you feel… And I understand why you feel alone…" he added.

"Why do you even care, anyway?!" Rika snapped back.

Henry breathed deeply. "Because I…" he replied.

Rika knew that the pause meant hesitation, so she guessed that it is up to her to read his thoughts.

"I knew it! I should've known you never cared!" Rika said disappointedly.

"Rika, I…" Henry trailed off once again.

"Stop pretending that you cared for me!" Rika said in a harsh tone. "Alright?!"

With this, Rika ran away from Henry as fast as she can, tears forming up in her eyes. Henry mentally punched himself for making it so wrong.

"Man, Henry, there goes your chance and you blew it away by hesitating!" he said to himself. "Now, what am I gonna to do to make her feel better again?"

Rika was still running away from Henry, trying to accept that he never cared. But that is what she just thought. But little did she know is that Henry is now running after her.

"Rika wait!" he said to Rika as he was desperately trying to catch up with her speed.

"Oh no! I'm just gonna get hurt again!" Rika said to herself. "I've already had enough!"

"Rika stop!" Henry said. '_I think I'm losing her… She runs too fast… I think I have an idea…'_

Henry increased his speed and he overtook Rika and because of this, he kept her still by blocking her path.

"WHAT?!" Rika said to Henry, now surrendering so she could talk to him and maybe after that, get him to stop following her.

"You were wrong, Rika. I cared about you… I am always worried about you whenever I'm not around…" Henry said calmly. "I wish you could trust me, Rika… Just this once…"

Rika was shocked from what she heard. It was the simple opposite of what she thought. But she was very upset that she cannot even accept that from Henry.

"Henry, thanks for the worry… Thanks for the care… I'm sorry if I can't return them back to you… I just can't… I'd probably just get hurt if I do so…" Rika managed to say slowly. "I'm sorry, Henry… I just can't…"

And Rika just went away from Henry, still upset. Henry just watched her leave, still disappointed. But he was not giving up on her. He cannot stand the girl of his dreams become lonely forever. He wanted her to need him. That is what he is going to do.

Rika's slow walking eventually led her home. But her face is still stained with her tears as she sat in the couch once more, pondering what Henry said to her a while ago.

**_"You were wrong, Rika. I cared about you… I am always worried about you whenever I'm not around…" Henry said calmly. "I wish you could trust me, Rika… Just this once…"_**

**_"Henry, thanks for the worry… Thanks for the care… I'm sorry if I can't return them back to you… I just can't… I'd probably just get hurt if I do so…" Rika managed to say slowly. "I'm sorry, Henry… I just can't…"_**

"Yeah. That's right… He'll only hurt me in some way… Then laugh at me… That's how sappy romances work…" Rika said bitterly.

But as she was still in her depression state, she accidentally kicked the table in front of her. Something fell from it. It was a book that her grandmother gave her. The only thing she read. But a small picture flew from it. It was the picture that she and Henry were in and she remembered that it was taken during Henry's birthday. The inscription read: **_"If you feel lonely, just remember, I'm right here with you… No matter what happens… ~ Henry."_**

"Does he really care? After how I treated him and Takato, he is still very kind to me… Oh, I don't know… Maybe, he does care after all…" she said after looking at the picture.

Rika sighed. The thoughts about a while ago were still lingering to her mind. She fell fast asleep in her couch after thinking so much.

* * *

The next day, she woke up and went up just to get something from her room. After doing so, she went to her terrace to catch some fresh air. As she was there and looked down, she saw a midnight-blue haired boy standing in front of her house. She easily recognized that it was Henry who was standing on the ground. But with him at her house at this ridiculous and early hour, her attention was drawn to him.

"What are you doing here?!" Rika yelled to Henry in her deathly tone.

"I won't leave until you talk to me." Henry replied casually.

Rika was surprised. She and Henry had talked yesterday and yet, he still wants to talk to her.

"What now?! We already had our conversation yesterday!" Rika retorted.

"But you only turned back after you replied… Please, Rika…" said Henry. "Just one last… After this, I'll leave and never bother you again…"

Rika did not hear him and she still stayed in the terrace, not wanting to go down. She was surprised when she heard a crash in front of her house.

"Oh no!" Rika said, thinking that the crash took Henry with it and went down and out of her house.

But as she was in the ground, she did not see Henry. She ran, hoping that she could catch him alive. However, she thought it was too late and she was truly disappointed.

"Why?" Rika said silently. '_Just as I knew that I will never be alone… He's gone… You're a stupid girl, Nonaka… You really are destined to be cold and withdrawn from other people!' _and she felt a tear come to her cheek.

Henry was already behind Rika. He went to safety just before the crash happened. "I'm right here, Rika… I'm alive…" he said.

Rika turned around and eventually saw Henry. Half of her was happy because she can still see him but half of her had a face of annoyance mainly because she just cried because of nothing.

"So you just faked your casualty?" Rika said with her fist ready to meet Henry.

Henry dodged Rika's attacks. "Aren't you glad that I'm alive?" he countered back jokingly.

"YOU SHOULD BE ALIVE! I already lost two important persons in my life and you should not be going to be the latest addition to them!" she retorted. She emphasized on two persons because she lost her father due to her parents' divorce while the second, she thought that her mother did not care about her.

Henry smiled after what she said. "And you're afraid to lose me then?" he said.

"BAKA!" Rika said as her fist only contacted the air because of Henry's stopping.

"And you're saying that you also care about me?" Henry added while evading Rika's attacks once again.

"BAKERO!" said Rika as her attempts to punch Henry were still in vain.

"Hey! Cut that out!" Henry said to Rika.

Rika was still in her fighting stance but Henry had counterattacked again and pinned her this time to the ground.

"Get off, Wong!" Rika shouted with annoyance.

"No!" Henry replied, holding Rika's wrists firmly.

"Henry Wong!" Rika shouted again.

"I'm right here!" Henry replied to her, not letting go of Rika's wrists.

"Wong, if you didn't go off me, I'm so gonna beat you up!" Rika replied with a threatening tone.

In order to get Rika to stop talking, Henry decided to score blackmail points there.

"If you won't stop talking, I'm going to kiss you." Henry replied with a smirk in his face.

Rika bit her lip nervously. She knew that Henry could get as serious as he wants and she became quiet after that.

Henry went on. "I care about you so much, Rika… You were never out of my mind… I know you really have a heart and you were only hiding it from others… I hate to see you unhappy… And I wish you could trust me too… I know you hate me for seeing through you but that's what I feel for you… And also, because I…" he let out a deep breath before saying his true feelings. "I love you so much, Rika…"

Rika was awestruck by Henry's revelation. More than that, she was even amazed that he even knew she hated that her wall of ice be broken down. Rika was fumbling with the right words.

_~ I'll be your crying shoulder,_  
_I'll be love's suicide_  
_I'll be better when I'm older,_  
_I'll be the greatest fan of your life.~_

"You're not gonna leave me just like them, are you?" Rika's reply was somehow nervous.

"I won't leave you anywhere… And the last thing I will do was to hurt you…" Henry said to Rika reassuringly. "You may push me away but that's not going to stop me from loving you…"

"Really?" that was all Rika could say to him. She cannot believe such sincere words uttered to her.

Henry's grey eyes met Rika's violet eyes with sincerity and nodded. Then he was surprised that Rika gave her warmest smile to him. Because of this, Henry was tempted to kiss Rika now that he got her arms down. But he was taken aback when Rika, with all her might, gently pressed her lips to his. He accepted it and kissed her back. When they broke apart, Henry let go of Rika's arms and helped her stand upright.

"I love you, Henry…" Rika said and she hugged him.

"I love you too, Rika…" Henry said while holding the love of his life.

The two stood there holding each other like there was no end. Finally, Rika managed to get out of her bittersweet reality and let in the love that will come all the way.

* * *

A/N: Rate and review! :)


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